A Valuable Lapse in Judgment
by kaytee412
Summary: Sometimes Blaine doesn't think through the consequences of his actions. One time he doesn't could cost him more than he bargained for.


**Title: **A Valuable Lapse in Judgment  
><strong>Rating: <strong>PG-13  
><strong>Word Count: <strong>1,781  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>Spoilers: <strong>None that I can think of  
><strong>Summary: <strong>Sometimes Blaine doesn't think through the consequences of his actions. One time he doesn't could cost him more than he bargained for.  
><strong>AN: **This is loosely based on a few personal experiences I have had, which made it that much more…interesting to write. 

* * *

><p>Kurt started awake when he heard his cell phone ringing, and fumbled around for it blindly. He opened one eye at the alarm clock; who the Hell was calling him at 2:18am? Once he found his phone, he realizes that all he wants to do is shut off the noise assaulting his ears. Then he sees who's calling him: Blaine. Blaine hasn't called him this late since college. Wait…Blaine hadn't come home yet?<p>

Kurt immediately picks up, rubbing at his eyes. "Hello?" he slurs slightly, voice rough with sleep.

"Kurt." The frantic whisper on the other end of the line snaps Kurt out of his reverie, and he pushed himself up in concern. "Kurt, I need you to come get me…or something, I need your help."

"Blaine, what's going on? Where are you, why are you whispering?" Kurt rambled off the questions as they entered his mind; Blaine said he'd be home late, but not _this _late. Besides the fact Blaine rarely asked for help, and if he was…something was seriously wrong. He swallowed the feeling of dread that was filling him, staring blankly at the wall in concentration.

"Kurt, my car broke down on my way back from my parent's house. I was only twenty minutes outside of town, so I thought I could walk the rest of the way…" Kurt waited for the rest of the story, knowing Blaine had a habit of trailing off with bad news. "Kurt, someone's following me."

The fear that Blaine was trying to conceal seeped through his voice, and Kurt felt his stomach turn. "Are you kidding me, Blaine? Why didn't you call me to pick you up? Who's following you?" He leapt off of the bed, throwing on a pair of sweatpants that were lying on the floor.

"I don't know! I don't know Kurt, I don't know any answers, okay, but I really need your help here," Blaine pleaded desperately, and Kurt heard his heavy breathing on the other end of the phone. He pulled on an old t-shirt and grabbed his keys, swearing as he tripped over a shoe.

"Okay, okay stay calm, sweetheart," Kurt soothed, not wanting to upset Blaine further. He threw open the door, running down the steps of their apartment building. "Where are you right now? I'm on my way, is that guy still following you?"

"I'm still like ten minutes away from home. And…" Kurt guessed Blaine was checking over his shoulder as he paused, "yes, he is. He's been following me for like five minutes, Kurt."

Kurt jammed the key in the ignition of his Range Rover, feeling an icy chill at Blaine's confession. "Try speeding up and slowing down your steps, Blaine. If he's following you, he—"

"Yes, yes, his steps will match mine; I've done that already!" Kurt could tell Blaine was close to tears, and he felt his chest tighten. His boyfriend was alone and scared, and Kurt couldn't make it to him fast enough.

"All right, where are you, Blaine?" Kurt asked urgently, increasing his speed.

"I'm right on the corner of Suburban and Delancy, where the old Fire House is."

Kurt let out a breath, checking the clock in his car. "I'll be there in literally five minutes, okay? Is there any store or shop open that you can get inside of? Anywhere with other people or lighting?" Kurt's mind was reeling; he was never great at thinking on his feet during emergencies. He had a tendency to freeze up, but he couldn't do that to Blaine, not when his boyfriend needed him most.

"No. I know there's the gas station up ahead, but it's not in my line of vision yet," Blaine answered, voice frantic. There was a hitch in Blaine's breathing that made Kurt's heart drop. "Kurt, he's getting closer."

"I swear Blaine, just two more minutes. Speed up your steps, okay honey?" Kurt panicked, gripping the phone even tighter now; he was surprised it didn't break yet.

"I'm going as fast as I can without running, Kurt…fuck, why couldn't we have gotten AAA when you suggested it?" Blaine forced a laugh, but the thick emotion behind it made Kurt feel sick.

"Because we realized we couldn't afford it, remember?" Kurt tried to play along, but he couldn't. He took a sharp turn onto Suburban Drive, tires squealing with his erratic driving.

"Yeah, yeah," Blaine breathed dismissively from the other end. "Shit. Kurt, how much longer?" he asked shakily.

"I'm on Suburban now, Blaine, just give me…wait!" Kurt felt a flood of relief when he spotted two figures about twenty feet from each other, once considerably shorter than the other. "I see you! Blaine, I'm here, honey, I'm here." Kurt swung his car around to the curb next to Blaine, leaning over and throwing the passenger door open.

Blaine scrambled inside the car and Kurt sped away as soon as Blaine slammed his door shut. Kurt continued watching the outline of who had been following Blaine in his rearview mirror until it disappeared.

They rode in silence for what seemed like hours, though it was only a few minutes; Kurt listened to Blaine's rapid breathing, and he waited until the roaring in his own ears had subsided.

Kurt pulled into the parking lot of their complex, turning off the ignition. He sat quiet for a minute longer, still unsure of what to say. He shook his head, mouth lax, as he thought about what had actually happened.

Suddenly, it was as if the severity of their situation had just hit him, and the anger began to flow out of Kurt before he was able to process it. "Blaine, what the _Hell _were you thinking?" he all but shouted, staring straight ahead. "Your car broke down and you just _decided _it would be okay to _walk _back home? At two in the _morning? _Blaine, you could have been _killed_! Or who the fuck _knows _what that guy wanted from you! You couldn't call a fucking _cab_, or a tow truck to get you? Because something tells me that's a smarter idea than _walking _in the fucking _dark _for twenty minutes to get home!" Kurt paused momentarily, trying to catch his breath; how could Blaine be so careless? Kurt was torn between tearing Blaine a new one and smothering him with affection, but Kurt was known for letting out his anger when overwhelmed.

"And not only that," he continued, gripping the wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white, "but do you have _any _idea how scared I was? Blaine, I thought I might lose you tonight, and I just can't…" Kurt pushed back the tears that were threatening to fall, bringing up a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Why would you _do _that to me? What were you _thinking_? Please, just answer me that, because I—"

Kurt stopped when he turned to Blaine, almost paralyzed when he saw Blaine crying in the seat next to him. He bit his lip, and felt his heart constrict at the sight of Blaine so helpless.

Blaine curled in on himself, one hand around his middle and the other over his mouth, unsuccessfully trying to stifle his broken sobs. "I'm…I'm so sorry, Kurt," he sputtered, squeezing his eyes shut. "I didn't think…it wasn't that far, and I didn't think about the time. I didn't want to cost us _more _money right now, Lord knows we can't afford it, and I just thought I could…call my dad in the morning, and he'd help me take a look at it, and I didn't know…" Blaine drew in a ragged breath, turning toward Kurt. The remorse and guilt in those bright hazel eyes seemed to slice right through Kurt. "I didn't think Kurt. I'm so sorry, I was just so scared…I didn't know what to do," he finished, voice small as though he thought he would be reprimanded once again.

Kurt sighed, feeling his own tears fall freely now. "Oh sweetheart, I'm sorry," he said gently, crawling over to Blaine and enveloping him in his arms. Blaine buried his head in the crook of Kurt's neck, and Kurt felt the dampness from Blaine's tears. "I didn't mean to blame you, Blaine, I just…fuck," he breathed, entwining his fingers in Blaine's curls. "I can't think of anything bad happening to you. I was so…worried doesn't even _begin _to cover it."

Blaine snaked his arms around Kurt's waist, as if he wanted to be even closer to him. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm just so sorry, I was so stupid," he apologized once again, this time his voice being muffled by Kurt's neck.

Kurt pressed a firm kiss to the top of Blaine's head. "I love you so much, Blaine. I don't want you beating yourself up over this, but…please, _please _don't do that again. I don't care what you have to do instead, but just…don't put yourself in that kind of danger."

"I promise," Blaine hiccupped. "I love you too, Kurt…thank you. Thank you for getting me, I was so…"

"You don't need to thank me, Blaine; I would _never _leave you alone," Kurt stated assertively. To him, there was _nothing _more important than Blaine.

Kurt continued to hold Blaine in his car, savoring the feeling of Blaine in his arms. Blaine was safe, where Kurt could see him; and looking down at the exhausted form in front of him, Kurt vowed that he would never take that for granted again.


End file.
